


Rescue

by Brenda



Series: Gee & Buchanan [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes As The World's Most Dangerous Housewife, Domestic Bliss, Kittens, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 17:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4357481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brenda/pseuds/Brenda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Where are you injured?" he asks, forgoing the pleasantries, and is already reaching out to unzip the jacket to assess the damage for himself when a tiny head pops out of the top and blinks at him with big, sleepy eyes the exact same shade of blue as Steve's.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fadedink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedink/gifts).



> The BFF asked for Bucky Barnes and kittens for her birthday, so that's what she gets. Because I'm a giver like that. :)

Bucky knows Steve is back from his latest mission before the front door even opens. Steve's always had a distinctive gait – even back when he'd been short and skinny, he'd always walked like a much bigger guy. Like he owned the room and everyone in it. Back in the day, Bucky knew it had been a defensive mechanism – stride in with a swagger in your step and a certain amount of arrogance and don't fuck with me attitude and, in general, people tended to give you a wide berth. The only thing that's changed since the serum is Steve's step is heavier now, has a weight to it he didn't have back when he'd had a helluva lot less bulk. But Bucky knows that step, knows it in his bones, could pick it out in a crowd from blocks away.

Which is how he also knows something's off.

He's on his feet, going through calculations and scenarios in his head, armed and ready and prepared to do whatever's necessary, when he hears the snick of the key in the lock. The door opens and Steve steps inside, still in uniform, leather jacket on and zipped all the way up. His shield's attached to the harness at his back. 

"Hey, Buck," Steve says, and smiles, but it's worn around the edges. He sounds tired as hell.

Bucky takes two steps forward, alert gaze sweeping over every inch of Steve he can see. No visible injuries, the uniform still looks intact, head's not bleeding or bandaged (his hair's a mess, but that's not unusual), but the jacket's covering too much. 

"Where are you injured?" he asks, forgoing the pleasantries, and is already reaching out to unzip the jacket to assess the damage for himself when a tiny head pops out of the top and blinks at him with big, sleepy eyes the exact same shade of blue as Steve's.

Bucky comes to a complete stop and blinks right back. "Steve..."

Steve glances down, smiles – softer now, fond – and then shrugs sheepishly at Bucky. "Found him in the rubble of a smashed up building. At least, I think it's a him. I didn't exactly have time to check."

The kitten – and it's definitely a kitten, an orange tabby with ears almost as big as its face – has now slithered out of the jacket entirely and has clawed its way up to the top of Steve's shoulder. It wobbles for just a second, then seems to find its balance, and yawns, wide enough Bucky can see all the way down its throat.

It's pretty cute. Reminds Bucky a little of Steve when he was a kid, all elbows and knees with too-big eyes and no sense of balance.

Steve reaches up and starts stroking its head with the tip of his forefinger. "I know I should've texted you first to make sure it was okay, but everything was so hectic towards the end –"

"It's fine," Bucky replies. The kitten is now curled up in a ball on Steve's shoulder and purring loud enough to wake the dead. "You're not injured?"

"What?" Steve looks down at himself, then back up at Bucky. "No, I’m fine. It was a milk run. I didn't even have to break out the shield."

"Okay." Bucky relaxes, stands down from combat ready, and lets out a steady, calming breath. He's not ready to go out on missions – not yet and maybe not ever and that's fine with Steve, he's never pushed Bucky to do anything he didn't want – but turning off over seventy years of muscle memory and training is a tall task even in the best of times. He knows part of him will always worry when Steve goes out, but that worry is getting slightly easier to deal with. Steve has good people around him, the best. Bucky trusts Natasha and Sam to have Steve's back, and he can't think of a higher compliment than that.

"I'm fine," Steve says, and smiles again, showing off the crinkles around his eyes. He reaches out, careful not to jostle the kitten (asleep and still purring so loud Bucky wonders how Steve's still hearing in that ear), and snags Bucky's metal hand in a gentle grip. "I'm okay."

"Okay," Bucky repeats, and steps forward, meets the soft brush of Steve's lips with his own. The last of the tension leaves his shoulders with the next kiss, and he takes full advantage, presses himself against Steve in one long line of promise and home.

"So," he says, when they've parted. The kitten hasn't even stirred. "What're we naming it?"

"Naming?" Steve's eyes widen. "Um, I just thought we'd, y'know, head to the shelter in the morning, maybe, see if anyone wanted to adopt –"

"Please," Bucky scoffs. "You've wanted pets as long as I've known you. A dog, a cat, a fucking gerbil, whatever. And now that we don't have to worry about your asthma or you leaving it alone when you're off saving the world since I'm hanging around like the world's most dangerous housewife..."

"You'd really be okay with keeping it?" Steve leans his head, and rests his cheek against the kitten's furry little body. Bucky wishes like hell he had his phone to get a picture, because a photo like that would probably break the internet.

"Yeah, why not?" He reaches up to stroke a finger along the kitten's head. It just purrs even louder.

"I love you," Steve says, with a wide, beaming smile.

"Love you, too," Bucky says, because he's never going to get tired of saying it. "And I like Gee for a name."

"Gee?"

"Yeah. Like Grant, only gender neutral, since we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet," Bucky says. 

"You want to name the cat after me?" Steve asks, puzzled.

"It reminds me of you before the War," Bucky replies, with his own grin. "Way too loud for such a tiny body and eyes bluer than the sky. And the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Steve just chuckles, and brushes another light kiss across Bucky's lips. "Fine. But we're naming the next pet Buchanan."

"Deal," Bucky says, and vows to himself the next pet will be a pit bull rescue or maybe a German shepherd. He's got a rep to protect after all.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Stephrc79](http://archiveofourown.org/users/stephrc79) for the beta!!! <33
> 
> You can now find me on [Tumblr](http://brendaonao3.tumblr.com/). :)


End file.
